At the time of original publication in 1910 the publisher said:

“Here is indeed the real Edison book. No single figure of our time has influenced more intimately our daily lives. Yet the full and authoritative story of Edison’s own life has never been written until now. In this book one may hear and see Edison. One of the authors is his counsel – both practically share Edison’s life. The entire manuscript has been read and revised by Edison himself. This is the personal story of Edison – his birth in Ohio, his boyhood in Michigan, his experience as a newsboy, and his work as a telegraph operator, winning his way upward. Edison’s establishment in Newark, the invention of the phonograph, and his removal to Menlo Park in 1876 lead to one of the most absorbing stories in the history of discovery – the invention of the incandescent lamp. This is told for the first time. We see days and nights spent developing storage batteries, the phonograph industry, application of Portland cement, moving pictures, etc. Not as an abstract genius, but as a man, Edison is made known and his personal human side is set before us.”

Includes many portraits and illustrations.